Introduction to Live Sound Engineering

One Day Courses

This one-day course is designed to give an introduction to the basics of live sound engineering. Attendees will be given overview of the basic principles of sound, and cover the main elements of a sound system. Whether you are looking to buy your first system, or just need help in understanding how to get the most of your current system, this course will give you confidence in what can be a very confusing and daunting area.

The course is very much a ‘hands on’ experience where attendees will explore sound systems from very basic analogue mixing desks, through to a 32 channel Midas digital desk. We will also cover the wide variety of microphones, explain the differences between them, and test them in a practical scenario. We will also explore the common causes of feedback, and how to avoid it. We will gradually build confidence, and go on to use some of our bigger sound systems!

*INTRODUCTORY OFFER £95 *

Please call Chris on 078 2525 3848 or E mailus if you have any questions about the courses. The available dates are as follows:

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Tuesday 16th January 2018

Saturday 27th January 2018

Tuesday 13th February 2018

Tuesday 27th February 2018

The courses commence at 9.00am and conclude at approximately 5.30pm. A ploughman’s lunch is provided, as well as tea/coffee during the day. All refreshments are included in the price.

Our overriding aim is that these courses are relaxed and informal, where the trainers assume attendees have little or no knowledge, and work on the principle that there is no such thing as a silly question.

The course will be held in our 250m2 comfortable modern building set in rural Wiltshire. The building is equipped with stage, sound and lighting systems, which creates a unique training environment.

Who is the course designed for?

This is a basic course and has been designed for people who are relatively new to sound systems, or for those who often struggle to get a good sound from their own system and want to develop their knowledge in an informal and non-judgemental environment. Here are some examples of who might benefit from attending this course.

Someone has just bought a sound system for their band, school or church and wants to learn how to get the most out of it.

Someone seeking a basic overview of how sound systems work before investing in their own equipment.

Someone seeking a basic overview of sound engineering in a relaxed environment where no previous knowledge is assumed.

Someone entering the business needing to quickly learn the basics.

About the trainers

‘All The Kit’ business partners Christian and Nick are the course trainers. With many years collective ‘hands on’ experience in the business, as well as performing musicians, they remember all too well what it felt like setting up a sound system with limited knowledge. They wish they could have had a course like this in those early days.

Over the years they have gained a great deal of experience in live sound, which is known as the most challenging environment to work in. Many of the tips they are able to share can remove a lot of the stresses often associated with the live environment.

Christian and Nick are passionate about what they do, and about maintaining high standards of professionalism within the industry. They hope that their enthusiasm for sound and lighting will make the course fun, relaxed and informative.

So what is on the agenda?

Above all the course is designed to be relaxed, and we intend to move at a pace to suit attendees … but there is a lot to get through, which includes the following:

How does sound work – some basic physics!

An overview of the various components of a PA system

Microphones

Leads

Speakers/monitors

Amps

Mixing desks

DI Boxes

Processors (EQ, Effects, Gates and Compressors)

Mixing desks in more detail

Gain structure

The common causes of feedback

Balancing sound - EQ

Speaker placement - Real world & Ideal

The Golden Rules of Fault Finding.

Reducing stress – Things in our control and things not.

Health and Safety

How do I book a place?

There are three simple steps.

Check out the training section of our website for available dates. (That's this page!)

Send an E mail to training@allthekit.com letting us know which date you would like to attend, and we will reply confirming the chosen date.

Payment can be made by Paypal via the link on the training page. Please add a note with the payment as to which date you are paying for.

Payment can also be made by BACS transfer. Please advise us in your e-mail if you request this payment method. We will generate an invoice, which will contain our bank details and this will be emailed to you.

FAQ

How many people are on each course?

The course is designed to be ‘hands-on’ so places are limited to 6 people per course.

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Do you provide refreshments?

We provide hot and cold drinks during the day and also a ploughman’s lunch at no extra cost.

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How do I get there?

The course is held near Wylye in South Wiltshire, and the address location will be included in the course joining instructions. This is a very rural location with no public transport links. The nearest train station is Warminster. There is plenty of car parking space.

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Do you provide any certificate or qualification?

This course will not give you any formal qualification, however we do provide attendees with a certificate of attendance.

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Is there an age limit?

Not really. The course is designed with adults in mind, but if you are a keen young person who seriously wants to learn about sound systems, you would be most welcome.

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Do I need any previous knowledge?

No previous knowledge or experience is required, but a good level of interest in the subject is recommended.

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Are we going to have fun?

Well we very much hope so. If you fancy the idea of spending the day in an informal comfortable environment gaining hands on experience with high quality equipment, and making quite a bit of noise, then yes you will find the day great fun!